Leon
Leon is a supporting character in the Kingdom Hearts series and leader of both the Heartless Resistance and the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Originally he went by the name Squall Leonhart, but due to his world being destroyed by the Heartless, he changed his name in an attempt to amend for his mistakes. Leon is twenty-five years old at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and twenty-six during the events of Kingdom Hearts II. Story Between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts Squall Leonhart grew up in the paradise world of Radiant Garden until it was consumed by darkness. Ashamed and angry that he was unable to defend his home and his loved ones from the Heartless, Squall assumed the name of "Leon" in order to distance himself from his past, vowing never to use his real name until the Heartless are defeated and his world restored. Leon awakened in Traverse Town along with the few fellow Radiant Garden refugees Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid, none of whom changed their names as Leon did. During his teenage years, Leon led the fight against the Heartless, effectively keeping an area of Traverse Town safe against Maleficent and the growing tide of Heartless. He was also known to travel between worlds in his Gummi Ship, assisting other refugees in peril and relocating them to Traverse Town. His actions did not go unnoticed, eventually gaining the attention and confidence of King Mickey, who was watching the growing battle warily. Final Fantasy'', Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy)'' |alliance=Mercenary of SeeD (Final Fantasy VIII) Warrior of Cosmos (Dissidia Final Fantasy, 012) |weapons = Revolver (Default Gunblade) Lion Heart (Ultimate Gunblade) ||imageBG = White||quote = "We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other."}} {{Q|We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other.|Leon} ''Kingdom Hearts'' Nine years after the fall of Radiant Garden, now named Hollow Bastion, when the wielder of the Keyblade was revealed, King Mickey ordered Goofy and Donald Duck to find Leon, trusting that Leon would inform them of the circumstance and help them find the wielder, Sora. It turned out, however, that Leon had already found Sora within the safe First District of Traverse Town, challenging and either defeating the boy in a duel or being defeated before dragging Sora back to the resistance's hideout; a room in one of Traverse Town's motels. There, Leon and Yuffie explained to Sora about the Heartless and his destiny as the Keyblade's chosen one. Uniting Sora with the newly arrived Donald and Goofy, Leon then sent them on their way. When Sora, Donald, and Goofy returned to Traverse Town again seeking Leon's help, they find him in the Secret Waterway, underneath Merlin's house, training. Here he offers information about the Keyholes of each world that lead to the heart of the world. He explains that the Heartless are drawn to the heart's power and would corrupt it, thus causing the world to disappear. This is why Sora's Keyblade is so important, because it has the power to seal them from the Heartless. Leon also gives Sora the Earthshine Gem, which contained the spirit of Simba, for luck. Later, after they move to the newly accommodated base, a previously abandoned house deep in Heartless territory, Leon and company tells Sora about Maleficent and about Ansem and his journal before once again, seeing Sora, Donald, and Goofy off. Leon also gives Geppetto and Pinocchio a place to live after they escape from Monstro. After escaping from Hollow Bastion, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi sought shelter with Leon's group in Traverse Town. Sora informed Leon of everything that had happened, prompting him to follow Sora and company when they left for the final battle with Maleficent in Hollow Bastion. After Sora defeats the Behemoth Heartless that guards Hollow Bastion's Keyhole, Leon stands waiting to bid his farewells, for after Sora seals the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts, the two groups might never see each other again. Later, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith can be seen wandering the Hollow Bastion Library, reading the books. After Sora sealed Kingdom Hearts and returned the universe to its order, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith are reunited with Cid and Cloud in Hollow Bastion. ''Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories'' After the defeat of Ansem, while skirmishing through Castle Oblivion, Sora, Donald, and Goofy later meet Leon and his friends in a memory-based version of Traverse Town. However, like the town itself, little did Sora and his party realize that Leon and his friends were actually the product of Sora's memories that were being manipulated by Naminé. Due to that, the Leon and his friends that Sora encounter have no memories of ever meeting Sora, but somehow know his name, which they could not explain how. Like the Leon from the first game, he nonetheless decides to help Sora and company, such as by teaching Sora the card-based system as well as providing the Simba and the Key of Guidance cards in order for Sora to proceed. Before Sora leaves, Leon ensures him that he will be okay; no matter what shape reality takes, and that while he may not remember Sora, he knows that he is in his heart. Between Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II After the lost parts of Radiant Garden were liberated from the End of the World, Leon and his friends formed the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee to restore their world to its former glory. During the course of their work, they rebuilt much of the town and began reconstruction of Ansem the Wise's castle, removing much of the modified machinery that was added to it. Also, due to Naminé tampering with Sora's memory, Leon lost his memories of his former friend. ''Kingdom Hearts II'' By the time Sora makes his return to Hollow Bastion, Leon's memories had returned. Leon explains to Sora that they've been having problems with the Heartless as of late. The Organization appears and forces Leon and Sora to battle several Nobodies. During the Battle of the 1000 Heartless, he, along with the rest of the Committee, helps Sora fight the Heartless on the Ravine Trail. He and Cloud were also shown back to back and surrounded by Heartless, bantering briefly before charging at their enemies. The two later returned to Hollow Bastion's outer wall and witnessed Sora's escape at the end of the battle. By the time they visit again, the town is infested with Heartless from Space Paranoids. While Sora, Donald, and Goofy set off to Space Paranoids to help Tron, Leon goes to pick up the eradicator program that Cid has been working on to defeat the Master Control Program for good. They eventually succeed, and Tron is able to remind everyone of the town's true name; Radiant Garden. After Sora and Riku return to Destiny Islands, he is seen in Merlin's house, reading a letter that produces a strange glowing butterfly shape that floats towards the ceiling and then vanishes. ''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded'' After Data-Sora collects every Ending Card in Castle Oblivion, Data-Roxas allows him to open the final door and learn the truth behind the hurt. Right as Data-Sora moves to open the door, illusions of Leon and Yuffie appear to congratulate him for keeping Traverse Town safe, explaining that something urgent came up that they had to deal with. They express a wish to someday work alongside him, and give him a Debug Device: Y and a Heat Sink Belt before departing. ''Final Fantasy VIII Leon originated as Squall Leonhart, the main protagonist in ''Final Fantasy VIII. He is studying to become a full-fledged member of the mercenary force known as SeeD, and specializes in the Gunblade, one of only two current cadets to do so. Ordinarily introverted to the point of seeming rude to others, he is forced to take a role of leadership as the world moves toward conflict, similar to his taking on leadership of the Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Hearts after the fall of Radiant Garden. His scar still remains slashed across his face just as it did in Final Fantasy VIII, but he is unaware of Seifer in Twilight Town. "Leon" shares his pseudonym with the English name of the Final Fantasy II character Leon, whose original Japanese name is shared with Squall's surname, Leonhart. Gallery Leon (Squall) - KH.png|Leon in Kingdom Hearts Leon_(Art).png|Artwork of Leon in Kingdom Hearts Leon(Squall)KHCostume in Dissidia.png Khhd-yuffie-aerith-leon-pluto-traverse-town.jpg Khhd-sora-leon-pluto-traverse-town.jpg Category:Final Fantasy Characters Category:Humans Category:Swordsmen